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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — to push
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — farmland
  9. press — newspapers
  10. field — a subject
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. squash — to crush
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — for sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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