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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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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: temple · press · prune · rush · staff · vault · mark · scale

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. press — to push
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — a grade
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. press — a publisher
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. vault — a safe
  24. scale — size or range

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