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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bark — to shout
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — to push
  8. bat — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — in music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. press — a publisher

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