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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — finally
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — the amount
  15. last — to go on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — final
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. content — happy

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