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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 · vault · craft · content · wake · stand

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. vault — a safe
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. craft — boats
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. press — to push
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. content — the amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  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