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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rush — hurry
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mug — a face
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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