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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. snap — to click
  7. spell — magic
  8. swing — to play on
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spell — a short time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. swing — music

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