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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — a trace
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. press — to push
  7. row — a line
  8. plane — a tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. vault — a safe
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chair — a leader
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. plane — in geometry

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