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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. vault — a safe
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. dip — to sink
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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