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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spell — a short time
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. press — to push
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — letters
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chest — a box
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. press — newspapers

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