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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. suit — clothes
  3. press — to push
  4. last — finally
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — to fit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. suit — in cards
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — to go on
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. last — final
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wound — an injury

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