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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. press — a publisher
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — to push
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — child
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — a friend
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. season — in sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. field — for sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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