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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. track — to keep track
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. march — the month
  6. track — a path
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. press — to push
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — a publisher
  11. vault — a safe
  12. march — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — a division
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. march — the month

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