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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chest — a box
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. content — happy
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. content — the amount
  24. track — a path

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