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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: safe · kick · chest · press · vault · chair · snap · coach

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. chest — a box
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. press — newspapers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — a safe
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — to push
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kick — in football
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — of your body

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