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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: pop · jam · vault · squash · net · stem · lie · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. pop — to visit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — to crush
  11. net — for catching
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. press — newspapers
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. net — after costs
  21. stem — to come from
  22. press — to push
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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