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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rest — a break
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a great time
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a dance
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. drill — army training
  24. mine — for digging

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