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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. press — a publisher
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to click
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. press — to push
  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