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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — employees
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — the season
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. clip — a video
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. clip — to cut

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