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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. press — to push
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. press — newspapers
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — of a word
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wax — to grow
  11. root — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. press — a publisher
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. root — the cause
  24. vault — a safe

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