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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — to get on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chair — a leader
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chest — a box
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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