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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · press · present · hide · craft · charge · ball · vault

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — the time now
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ball — a dance
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — there
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — newspapers
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. charge — electricity
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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