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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — hurry
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. band — a music group
  7. wake — a trail
  8. band — a ring
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — a thrill

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