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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chair — a leader
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. plane — in geometry

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