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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spring — of water
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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