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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — in music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a skill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — for a lock
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — the animal

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