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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 124 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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. press — newspapers
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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