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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a match
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. press — to push
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. plane — a tool

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