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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: nail · vault · wound · bass · press · roll · drill · shower

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. shower — rain
  9. drill — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. drill — a practice
  14. roll — a cake
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — an injury
  23. roll — a list
  24. press — to push

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