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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: press · club · kick · fine · straw · vault · firm · last

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. press — to push
  3. fine — high quality
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — newspapers
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — a publisher
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. last — final
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — finally
  18. club — for golf
  19. firm — steady
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — to go on
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. kick — in football

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