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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. vault — a safe
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lie — an untruth

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