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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cell — a phone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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