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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — ground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bound — obliged
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. row — a line
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bound — tied together
  24. calf — of the leg

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