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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — to push
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. game — a match
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. drill — army training
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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