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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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468
Word bank
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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — to push
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bass — low music
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — the fish

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