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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — a safe
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. foot — a measure
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — boats
  13. march — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — for digging
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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