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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — to push
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — to come down
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. object — a thing
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — a country
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. vault — a safe
  20. press — newspapers
  21. object — to protest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — a big deal

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