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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: kick · stick · bound · pound · press · vault

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kick — in football
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — obliged
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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