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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: vault · rock · race · press · bear · leaves

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. press — to push
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. press — newspapers
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — a publisher
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. race — the arms race

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