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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rest — a break
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. can — to be able to
  17. press — newspapers
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — in cards
  21. press — a publisher
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lean — thin
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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