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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rule — a law
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rule — government
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spell — magic

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