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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 120 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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — to push
  10. stand — to bear
  11. plane — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lie — to recline
  17. press — a publisher
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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