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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bat — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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