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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bat — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a lid
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — boats

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