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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: wax · press · ruler · shower · vault · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. press — a publisher
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — to push
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — newspapers

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