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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 112 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: net · calf · press · wind · vault · rock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. rock — a stone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — in sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — a safe
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  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