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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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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: rock · face · last · chip · vault · foot · trunk · press

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. last — finally
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. face — to point toward
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. press — newspapers
  10. face — to confront
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — part of the head
  15. press — to push
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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