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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — government
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chest — a box
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rule — a law
  23. track — a song
  24. coach — a trainer

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