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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — part of the body

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