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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. drill — the tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. press — to push
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — to bear
  9. firm — steady
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — a trail

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