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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · vault · pitcher · trunk · roll · safe · coach · press

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — a cake
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — to push
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a list

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