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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. race — humankind
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — to go on
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — of water
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — happening now
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. current — electric
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. snap — to click

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