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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — humankind

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