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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. scale — in music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — happy

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