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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. press — newspapers
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. press — a publisher
  24. vault — a safe

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