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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: row · stand · straw · club · press · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. club — for dancing
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — to push
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. press — a publisher
  14. club — for golf
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group

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