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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. present — there
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. present — the time now
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — a safe
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. march — music
  24. fork — in a road

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