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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: wound · vault · snap · stick · press · hide · present · jam

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. present — there
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. snap — to click
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. press — to push
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — animal skin

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