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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: cue · wave · vault · rock · tear · straw · pop · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cue — a hint
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cue — for pool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — of the sea

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