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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fall — the season
  3. spell — letters
  4. club — for golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. spell — magic
  10. game — a match
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — thin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. club — a group
  19. game — wild animals
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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