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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cold — not warm
  23. vault — a safe
  24. perch — for a bird

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