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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: rest · stick · vault · dip · press · net

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — in sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. net — for catching
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — a publisher
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — to push
  16. net — after costs
  17. rest — what's left
  18. dip — to dunk

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