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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. last — final
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — finally
  11. object — a thing
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. last — to go on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cue — a hint
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — to push
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — to protest

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