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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. rash — a series
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chair — a leader
  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