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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — newspapers
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fork — in a road
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — an illness

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