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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: face · jam · bark · pitcher · can · press · vault · wake

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. face — to point toward
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — to push
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. face — part of the head
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — in traffic

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