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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: pitcher · mark · stick · wind · press · rest · cell · vault

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. press — to push

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