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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rush — hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. present — a gift
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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