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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · fan · drill · hide · leaves · press · craft · vault

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a match
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a handicraft

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