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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. file — a tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. vault — a safe
  10. file — a line of people
  11. press — a publisher
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — to get on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pop — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. press — newspapers
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. file — a document

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