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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: tube · vault · kick · rule · press · fan

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — a publisher
  6. tube — a container
  7. rule — government
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — a law
  15. kick — in football
  16. press — newspapers
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground

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