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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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. suit — in cards
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. vault — a safe
  6. row — to paddle
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — a line
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. craft — boats
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fork — a garden tool

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