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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cold — not warm
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. pop — soda
  14. roll — a cake
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pop — to visit
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cold — an illness
  22. roll — a list
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cold — the Cold War

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