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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: bear · cue · vault · wake · wave · rash · spell · tube

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spell — magic

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