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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cell — in biology
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. game — a match
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. toast — bread
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. nail — for a hammer

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