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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — newspapers
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — a thing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fall — the season
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — to push
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mine — an explosive

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