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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — all right
  3. rush — hurry
  4. object — an aim
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. press — to push
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. bass — low music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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