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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. press — to push
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. degree — from a university
  5. court — for sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — in cards
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — clothes
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. court — of a king
  13. face — to confront
  14. can — to be able to
  15. suit — to fit
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. press — a publisher
  20. degree — temperature
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. dip — to sink
  24. can — a tin

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