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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — a thing
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — to protest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — for digging
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — the sport
  16. object — an aim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — a signal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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