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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. track — a song
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. track — to keep track

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