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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — the cause
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — of a word
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — a match
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. game — wild animals

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