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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spell — letters
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. press — to push
  15. suit — to fit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. suit — clothes
  18. game — wild animals
  19. press — newspapers
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — a short time
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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