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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — in football
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chair — a leader
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. fine — all right
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. date — the fruit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. date — on the calendar

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