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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
468
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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — for golf
  4. fall — the season
  5. pit — in a race
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. land — ground
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. club — a group
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — a country
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for dancing

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