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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 120 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: tear · chair · row · bear · last · vault · board · current

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. last — finally
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. current — happening now
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chair — a leader
  17. current — electric
  18. tear — from crying
  19. board — to get on
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tear — to rip
  22. current — of water
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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