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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · press · object · hide · vault · mug · sharp · lean

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — a face
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chest — a box
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. press — a publisher
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. object — a thing
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lean — to bend
  23. vault — a safe
  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