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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a path
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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