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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: tube · land · chip · shower · arm · vault · press · nail

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. vault — a safe
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tube — a container
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. shower — to wash
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. shower — rain
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — newspapers

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