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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · cue · vault · band · ball · wave · deal · foot

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. foot — a measure
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. band — a music group
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cue — for pool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. foot — part of the body

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