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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kid — child
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — a container
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rash — hasty
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — to push
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. content — happy
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — a series
  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