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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chair — a leader
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cell — a phone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hand — in cards
  15. march — music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cell — in biology
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. bound — certain
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hand — help

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