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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. present — there
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mark — a grade
  8. present — the time now
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. face — to confront
  11. press — to push
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pop — soda
  14. face — part of the head
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — a publisher
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. press — newspapers

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