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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — a signal
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. band — a ring
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kid — to tease
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chest — a box
  20. cue — for pool
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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