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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rash — a series
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. last — to go on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. last — finally
  8. press — a publisher
  9. last — final
  10. track — a path
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — the cause
  13. press — to push
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — a song
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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