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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. kid — child
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rule — government
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kid — to tease

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