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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: vault · straw · chip · stick · press · hide · racket · pound

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. 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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — for betting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — to eat
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. 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