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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lean — thin
  4. cold — not warm
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cold — an illness
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — of the sea

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