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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.

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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. march — the month
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — a committee
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — to push
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — all right
  17. bat — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — high quality
  24. press — a publisher

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