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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. press — a publisher
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. land — a country
  7. face — to point toward
  8. toast — bread
  9. file — a tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a line of people
  18. land — to come down
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — in a race
  22. land — ground
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a document

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