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

Word bank: press · snap · mug · club · temple · vault

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. 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. club — for golf
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — a cup
  8. snap — to click
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — a face
  13. press — newspapers
  14. vault — a safe
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. 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