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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: chair · press · ruler · nail · mark · vault · swing · rest

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. rest — a break
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — to push
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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