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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — a country
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. land — ground
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a dance
  24. staff — a stick

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