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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cue — a signal
  6. shower — rain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — completely
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cold — not warm
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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