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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: cell · wax · face · stick · bat · vault · press · object

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. face — to point toward
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. press — newspapers
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. press — to push
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. press — a publisher
  17. object — a thing
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — in biology
  24. vault — a safe

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