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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — to push
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — rain
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pop — to visit
  24. shower — to wash

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