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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: nail · kick · chest · press · content · vault

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chest — a box
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher

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