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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. press — to push
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fall — the season
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — finally
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — final
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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