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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spring — of water
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lie — to recline
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. net — in sport
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — electric
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — an untruth

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