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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 120 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: chest · spell · pass · stand · vault · rock · press · kid

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spell — magic
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — to push
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spell — a short time
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chest — a box
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — child
  24. stand — for spectators

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