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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — a series
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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