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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. vault — a safe
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. rule — government

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