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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. file — a line of people
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rock — a stone
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. present — there
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — to push
  12. capital — money
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a document
  18. rock — music
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. capital — a city
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. rock — to move gently

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