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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.

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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: rule · firm · vault · branch · press · land · can · hand

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — a law
  5. hand — in cards
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — help
  8. press — to push
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — newspapers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — a country
  22. firm — a company
  23. rule — government
  24. can — to be able to

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