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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. swing — in golf
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — government
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. plane — a tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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