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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. press — a publisher
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. press — newspapers
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tear — to rip
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — to push
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. vault — a safe
  15. plane — a tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. perch — the fish

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