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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to click
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pound — a weight
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — a cake
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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