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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: saw · vault · press · cabinet · track · stand · kid · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kid — to tease
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hand — help
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — to push
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — child
  24. press — a publisher

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