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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: ground · straw · bulb · vault · jam · face · press · cap

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — to push
  3. vault — a safe
  4. face — to confront
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — crushed
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. press — a publisher
  24. jam — a tight spot

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