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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — government
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — for a lock
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — soda
  16. rule — a law
  17. pop — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — the most important part
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. key — in music

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