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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: roll · vault · cap · bulb · snap · stand · track · press

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. track — a song
  6. roll — a cake
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. roll — a list
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cap — a hat
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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