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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chip — to eat
  3. press — a publisher
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. press — to push
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — in a computer

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