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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: press · fall · rock · rule · bear · vault · field · lie

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. field — for sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. field — a subject
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rule — government
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — to recline
  14. field — farmland
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — a law
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rock — a stone
  20. press — a publisher
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — to push
  24. rock — music

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