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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 · dip · pop · stem · hide · vault · snap

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — to come from
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. dip — to sink
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. press — a publisher
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — music

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