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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: rest · vault · band · kick · can · cue · bear · ball

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. band — a music group
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — a break
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. band — a ring

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