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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chair — a leader
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spring — a coil
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — a law
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — of water
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a match
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — the season
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rule — government

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