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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — to fit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. root — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — of a word
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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