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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. current — of water
  3. vault — a safe
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. current — electric
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. content — the amount
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cue — a hint
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a signal

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