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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chair — a leader
  8. drill — army training
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. drill — a practice
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. root — the cause
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. root — of a plant
  24. swing — to play on

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