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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — a line
  12. pop — soda
  13. vault — a safe
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bulb — for light

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