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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. vault — a safe
  5. season — in sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. season — of the year

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