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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. chair — a leader
  4. firm — a company
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — steady
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. shower — rain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — decided
  21. shower — to wash
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — a supporter

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