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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — a safe
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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