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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: lie · vault · bat · field · kid · leaves · press · jam

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. kid — child
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. press — a publisher
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — a subject
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. press — newspapers
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — farmland
  20. kid — to tease
  21. press — to push
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. jam — in traffic

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