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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 116 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: cold · press · hide · vault · wax · row

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. press — to push
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cold — not warm
  15. press — a publisher
  16. row — a line
  17. press — newspapers
  18. vault — a safe

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