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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stand — to bear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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