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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: shower · vault · club · toast · press · date

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. press — newspapers
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. club — a group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — for golf
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — bread
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — for dancing
  18. shower — rain

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