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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — a publisher
  6. club — a group
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of a king
  14. row — a line
  15. club — for golf
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — a 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