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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rash — a series
  21. press — to push
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — in a computer

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