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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. vault — a safe
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — help
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — employees
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. staff — a stick
  23. craft — a skill
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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