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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 116 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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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: cue · row · hand · deal · spring · charge · mine · vault

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spring — a coil
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — electricity
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. hand — help
  24. row — a quarrel

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