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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · cue · press · trunk · saw · vault · bound · cell

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — help
  8. press — a publisher
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bound — certain
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hand — in cards

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