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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — a short time
  9. object — an aim
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — a position
  12. press — to push
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — a thing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spell — magic
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — crushed
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. press — newspapers

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