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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — to cut
  5. spring — the season
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. land — ground
  9. spring — of water
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. land — a country
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — to come down
  17. clip — for paper
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. clip — a video
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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