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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · key · face · vault · cap · press

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. press — to push
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — for a lock
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cap — a lid
  7. key — in music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. key — the most important part
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. press — a publisher
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to confront

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