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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — to push
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. vault — a safe
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spring — a coil
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tube — a container
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. press — newspapers
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spring — of water
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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