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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 · plane · kick · vault · press · ground · firm · band

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. press — to push
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — in football
  5. firm — steady
  6. ground — the earth
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — newspapers
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. vault — a safe
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. band — a music group
  21. plane — a tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ground — crushed

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