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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. leaves — lets stay

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