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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. press — newspapers
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — to push
  10. craft — boats
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rush — hurry
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rush — a thrill

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