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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: arm · pass · spell · cue · leaves · row · mark · vault

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — magic
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — letters
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — a line
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — to succeed

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