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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — a gift
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — newspapers
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. press — to push
  12. present — there
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — the time now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. shower — to wash

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