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

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. press — to push
  8. can — to be able to
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mark — a grade
  24. press — a publisher

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