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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wake — a trail
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — clever
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — a safe

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