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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 120 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: press · wind · mug · temple · vault · arm · fine · tear

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. press — to push
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — from crying
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. mug — a cup
  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