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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cap — of ice
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — in music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cap — a lid

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