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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. net — after costs
  4. season — in sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — to rob
  10. season — of the year
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mug — a face
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wax — to grow
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — newspapers
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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