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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — to push
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — newspapers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — to go away

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