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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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468
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: press · straw · mug · vault · cabinet · stand · band · mine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. band — a music group
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — for digging
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stand — on your feet

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