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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: fork · wound · stick · plane · vault · press

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. press — a publisher
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — a tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — to push
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury

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