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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — to push
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — the fish
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — to bear
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — of water
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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