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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. 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. firm — a company
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — steady
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. snap — to click
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — decided
  21. ground — the earth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. 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