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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 116 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: craft · bound · stem · file · press · deal · vault · wave

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — to push
  8. file — a document
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. press — newspapers
  20. file — a line of people
  21. deal — to handle
  22. craft — a skill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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