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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: press · swing · mug · cue · vault · roll · bank · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. press — to push
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — to rob
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mug — a face
  11. press — a publisher
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — a signal
  14. roll — a list
  15. cell — a phone
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cell — in biology
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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