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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spell — magic
  4. cap — a lid
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. press — to push
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. press — newspapers
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rest — a break
  18. capital — a city
  19. spell — a short time
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spell — letters
  24. rest — what's left

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