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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. last — finally
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. swing — in golf
  14. last — to go on
  15. wax — to grow
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — a signal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com