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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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