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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: ground · date · chair · vault · last · leaves · dip · band

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a music group
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — final
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. last — to go on
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. last — finally
  23. band — a ring
  24. date — the fruit

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