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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. track — a song
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. squash — the sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mine — for digging
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. vault — a safe

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