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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. charge — in control
  7. capital — a city
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — for pool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. squash — to crush
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. squash — the sport
  24. capital — a big letter

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