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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fall — to drop
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — a trainer

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