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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 120 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: vault · press · rock · craft · wax · degree · swing · chair

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. swing — in golf
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. craft — a skill
  8. swing — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. degree — an amount
  11. press — newspapers
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rock — music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. degree — from a university
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. craft — boats
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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