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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to click
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — to push
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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