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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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Word bank
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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 · roll · vault · object · firm · chest

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. roll — a list
  2. chest — a box
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. object — an aim
  7. firm — decided
  8. object — a thing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. firm — steady
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — a company
  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