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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. press — a publisher
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. last — finally
  11. deal — to handle
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a dance
  20. squash — to crush
  21. last — to go on
  22. spring — the season
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. last — final

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