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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. shower — rain
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. staff — a stick
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. board — to get on
  13. last — final
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. shower — to wash
  16. vault — a safe
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. last — finally
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of a tree

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