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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — to paddle
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rest — a break
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — an amount
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. degree — temperature
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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