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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. press — to push
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. rash — a series
  9. scale — in music
  10. present — the time now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rash — hasty
  19. present — there
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — newspapers
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — all right

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