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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · chair · patient · vault · mark · pass · net · ground

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ground — a position
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. chair — to sit on

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