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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: press · coach · can · vault · bear · cell

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cell — in biology
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — newspapers
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. can — a tin

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