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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. row — to paddle
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. object — an aim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — a thing
  17. toast — bread
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. vault — a safe
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. press — a publisher
  22. row — a line
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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