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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. press — newspapers
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — to push
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — a trail
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — decided
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rest — a break
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. sharp — with an edge

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