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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. vault — a safe
  5. press — to push
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cold — an illness
  11. last — final
  12. cold — not warm
  13. last — to go on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. press — a publisher
  24. last — finally

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