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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.

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: press · mouse · court · band · season · plane · vault · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — newspapers
  22. season — of the year
  23. press — to push
  24. plane — in geometry

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