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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — the fish
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — a contest
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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