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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — shares
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — of water
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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