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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — the season
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bass — low music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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