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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wake — a trail
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — there
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. press — a publisher
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wound — an injury
  20. press — to push
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. row — a line
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. press — newspapers

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