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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a grade
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — army training
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — a trace
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — a safe
  24. drill — the tool

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