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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. kick — in football
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — a safe

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