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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. kid — child
  8. vault — a safe
  9. press — to push
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — a division
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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