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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stem — to come from
  11. press — newspapers
  12. band — a music group
  13. court — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. press — to push

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