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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chest — of your body
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. key — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. net — after costs
  12. roll — a cake
  13. net — in sport
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. roll — a list
  18. net — for catching
  19. chest — a box
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lie — to recline
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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