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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chair — a leader
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mark — a trace
  15. row — a line
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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