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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — of a king
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. press — newspapers
  12. court — of law
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — for sport
  15. face — part of the head
  16. press — to push
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — a permit
  19. spell — magic
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — the sport

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