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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. row — to paddle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cap — of ice
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. row — a line
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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