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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — to recline
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — newspapers
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — a video
  24. vault — a safe

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