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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. drill — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a ring
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — for catching
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rest — a break
  17. net — after costs
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — what's left
  21. suit — in cards
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a music group

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