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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — to tease
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. swing — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kid — child
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. plane — a tool

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