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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. club — a group
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — a publisher
  19. club — for dancing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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