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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: content · straw · vault · swing · press · trunk · staff · rest

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. staff — a stick
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — in golf
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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