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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cell — a phone
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — a trail
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — a break
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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