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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spring — a coil
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spring — of water
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — a lid
  24. suit — in cards

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