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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — a division
  9. current — electric
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — of water
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. band — a music group
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a ring
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. current — happening now
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. vault — a safe

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