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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — a safe
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chest — of your body
  10. firm — steady
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — a cup
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chest — a box

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