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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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