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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. vault — a safe
  13. press — to push
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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