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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — to protest
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — an aim
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — army training
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — a trainer

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