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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. object — an aim
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — not warm
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. vault — a safe
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — a thing
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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