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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — newspapers
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. root — the cause
  8. lean — thin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. snap — to click
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. craft — boats
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a plant
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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