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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: march · lash · cue · pop · roll · kid · date · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — a hint
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. date — the fruit
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — soda
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — a signal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pop — to visit
  21. march — music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — to tease

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