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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. last — finally
  3. press — to push
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. key — the most important part
  11. game — wild animals
  12. last — final
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wax — to grow
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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