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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 120 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: spring · cap · stand · perch · cue · band · sharp · vault

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — a hint
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. spring — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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