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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. race — humankind
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. race — the arms race
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. race — a contest
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — in a race
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wave — with your hand

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