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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 · chair · vault · fork · plane · trunk

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. plane — a tool
  4. press — to push
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — a safe

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