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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — a partner
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — to breed
  24. vault — a safe

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