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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — steady
  5. mug — a face
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mug — to rob
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. face — part of the head
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — to push
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mug — a cup
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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