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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: straw · vault · cell · suit · press · pop · mark · toast

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — soda
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pop — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. press — a publisher
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. suit — to fit
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cell — in biology
  17. vault — a safe
  18. toast — bread
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — a grade
  22. suit — clothes
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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