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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 124 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — a leader
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — the time now
  9. squash — to crush
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — there
  16. squash — the sport
  17. face — to confront
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mug — to rob
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. present — a gift
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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