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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. row — to paddle
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. row — a line

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