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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rash — a series
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. capital — a city
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. tube — a container

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