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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 116 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: press · key · row · fork · cell · mark · vault · tear

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tear — to rip
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. key — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. row — a line
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — a quarrel

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