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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: vault · pound · bay · rest · fan · squash · press · race

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — humankind
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. race — a contest
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. squash — to crush

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