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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: press · vault · cue · straw · mouse · hand · ruler · firm

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hand — help
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — steady
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — a company
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. hand — in cards

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