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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: lash · cue · degree · vault · straw · pop · sharp · can

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. degree — from a university
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — soda
  24. sharp — with an edge

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