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

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — to go on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — of the year
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — to visit
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. last — finally
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pop — soda

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