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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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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: cap · press · safe · vault · band · race · squash · craft

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. band — a ring
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — a contest
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — humankind
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — of ice
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. squash — to crush
  18. band — a music group
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a lid
  22. craft — boats
  23. squash — the sport
  24. race — the arms race

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