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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hand — in cards
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — in a race
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — help
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. vault — a safe
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — animal skin

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