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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · tube · plane · field · press · stick · mate · vault

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — farmland
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. field — a subject
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mate — to breed
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mate — a friend
  13. field — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. press — newspapers
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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