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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: ruler · chest · trunk · shower · racket · firm · vault · press

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — rain
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. vault — a safe
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. press — to push
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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