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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — happy
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — a company
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. last — final
  15. band — a music group
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a ring
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chair — a leader
  24. firm — decided

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