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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bore — to drill
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — newspapers
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bore — to tire
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. present — there
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — the season
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. present — the time now
  19. press — a publisher
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. content — the amount
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. temple — side of the head

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