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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a leader
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — to drill

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