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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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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: bore · face · toast · vault · stem · straw · craft · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to confront
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — boats
  11. face — part of the head
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. craft — a skill
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bore — to tire
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. face — to point toward
  23. toast — bread
  24. straw — dry grass

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