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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 124 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kid — child
  16. hand — help
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kid — to tease

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