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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mug — a face
  3. suit — to fit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — a hint
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — in cards
  19. face — to confront
  20. scale — in music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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