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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. object — an aim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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