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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. firm — a company
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. cell — a phone
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — a hat
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — a safe
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. tube — the underground
  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