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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. last — finally
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. last — to go on
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — an amount
  24. arm — part of the body

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