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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spell — letters
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — magic
  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