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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. file — a line of people
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — clever
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. file — a tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. file — a document
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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