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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — a safe

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