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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: nail · vault · toast · mug · chair · press

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mug — a face
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a leader
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. toast — bread
  10. press — to push
  11. mug — a cup
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chair — a professorship

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