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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — an aim
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mine — for digging
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ground — a position
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. root — the cause
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. object — to protest
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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