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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — employees
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — to cut
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. staff — employees

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