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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: row · press · wave · straw · vault · pit · chair · foot

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. row — a line
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — a hole
  22. press — to push
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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