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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: vault · press · branch · safe · pound · can · cap · last

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — final
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — newspapers
  10. last — to go on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. last — finally
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. branch — a division
  19. pound — a weight
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. press — a publisher
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. safe — out of danger

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