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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mate — a partner
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. cue — a hint
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. band — a ring
  17. mate — a friend
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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