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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. drill — army training
  13. shower — rain
  14. race — the arms race
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. race — humankind
  18. shower — to wash
  19. press — newspapers
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. race — a contest
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. drill — a practice

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