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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: mug · vault · race · land · face · lash · press · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — part of the head
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — a publisher
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mug — a cup
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. land — to come down
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — a face
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — to point toward
  19. press — to push
  20. race — the arms race
  21. face — to confront
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. press — newspapers

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