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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mark — a grade

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