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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
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Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — a practice
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — army training
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. tear — to rip
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. board — a flat piece

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