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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — for money
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — decided
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spell — magic
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. firm — steady
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rule — government
  16. bank — for money
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — child
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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