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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — newspapers
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — an illness
  7. swing — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bound — obliged
  15. vault — a safe
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. staff — employees
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cold — not warm

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