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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. band — a ring
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — the time now
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cap — a hat
  17. present — a gift
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a music group
  24. vault — a safe

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