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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — goods
  7. chair — a leader
  8. vault — a safe
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wake — a trail
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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