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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a music group
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — a tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. band — a ring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stock — goods
  22. present — a gift
  23. stock — shares
  24. tear — from crying

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