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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: chest · vault · press · club · stand · arm · sharp · bound

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. club — for golf
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — a group
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — a box
  21. press — to push
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. arm — a part of something

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