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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cell — in biology
  5. content — happy
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — to push
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. content — the amount

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