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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: press · fall · rock · rule · bear · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — the season
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. rock — to move gently

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