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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: cue · rest · saw · press · shower · vault · cabinet · temple

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — a publisher
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. press — to push
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rest — a break
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. shower — rain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. temple — side of the head

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