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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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Word bank
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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: land · vault · leaves · tear · suit · press

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tear — to rip
  3. press — a publisher
  4. suit — to fit
  5. land — ground
  6. press — to push
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — newspapers
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. tear — from crying
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — in cards
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. land — a country

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