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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spring — of water
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spring — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — a division
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — music
  24. spring — a coil

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