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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mine — for digging
  24. jam — in traffic

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