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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mug — a face

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