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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. craft — boats
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chest — of your body
  14. press — to push
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. vault — a safe
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chest — a box
  23. ground — a position
  24. wake — before a funeral

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