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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. squash — the sport
  3. march — the month
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — to push
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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