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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stock — shares
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. shower — rain
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — goods
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. shower — to wash

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