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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. degree — temperature
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. snap — to click
  9. craft — boats
  10. degree — from a university
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — a safe
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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