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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 116 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.

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: fan · cabinet · clip · press · object · wake · band · vault

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. band — a music group
  5. press — a publisher
  6. band — a ring
  7. clip — a video
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — a thing
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — an aim
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — a trail
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — a safe
  24. object — to protest

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