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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — a publisher
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a ring
  16. degree — an amount
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. degree — from a university
  24. hand — help

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