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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. key — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. season — in sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — to go on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. key — for a lock
  23. last — finally
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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