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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: stem · press · vault · mug · bound · chair

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mug — a cup
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stem — to come from

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