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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — music
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. present — there
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. present — the time now
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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