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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. saw — the tool
  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