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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — a signal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cue — a hint
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — to handle
  13. toast — bread
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chest — a box
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tube — a container

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