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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: chest · race · saw · press · rock · vault

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rock — music
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — the tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — a publisher
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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