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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spring — the season
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — of water
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. spring — a coil

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