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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: kick · press · branch · roll · content · vault · foot · present

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — the time now
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. branch — a division
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — there
  18. roll — a list
  19. present — a gift
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. roll — a cake
  24. foot — the bottom

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