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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. face — to confront
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. firm — decided
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wound — an injury

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