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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 124 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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — the tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cap — of ice
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cap — a lid
  17. toast — bread
  18. staff — a stick
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cue — for pool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cue — a signal
  24. staff — employees

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