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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rush — hurry
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — the month
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rest — what's left
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — a price
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — a break
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. press — to push
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — the month

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