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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. face — part of the head
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — of water
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fall — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rock — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spring — the season
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — to push

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