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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — a face
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. face — to point toward
  8. tear — to rip
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — in music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mug — a cup
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to confront
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. key — the most important part

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