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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. roll — a list
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pass — to spend time

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