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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mate — a partner
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. coach — a trainer

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