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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mate — a partner
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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