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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 · land · press · craft · snap · object · firm · spell

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — a country
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spell — magic
  11. press — to push
  12. object — to protest
  13. firm — decided
  14. snap — to click
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — to come down
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — newspapers
  23. vault — a safe
  24. firm — steady

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