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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — a safe
  5. press — to push
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. file — a document
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rest — what's left

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