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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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. cell — in biology
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. craft — a skill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — in cards
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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