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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bore — to tire
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kid — child
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cue — for pool

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