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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. present — a gift
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pop — music
  8. kid — child
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — newspapers
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — hurry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — the time now
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rush — to hurry
  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