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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cold — not warm
  10. press — to push
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — letters
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — magic
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — newspapers
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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