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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. root — of a word
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. band — a music group
  6. vault — a safe
  7. press — to push
  8. present — there
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. present — the time now
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a ring
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. scale — in music
  20. root — the cause
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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