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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tear — from crying
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — to rob
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a face
  12. last — finally
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. last — final
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — to go on
  18. press — to push
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mark — a trace

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