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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: cold · vault · hide · press · saw · roll · mouse · stand

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. press — newspapers
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. press — to push

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