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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to point toward
  4. firm — decided
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — a company
  12. court — of law
  13. face — to confront
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — for sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. court — of a king
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. face — part of the head

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