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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rash — a series

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