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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: toast · vault · stem · press · arm · firm

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. firm — decided
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. toast — bread
  18. press — newspapers

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