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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — the season
  8. season — of the year
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. press — to push
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — newspapers
  23. season — in sport
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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