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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: content · club · pound · lash · rush · press · season · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — for dancing
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. press — newspapers
  12. season — of the year
  13. content — happy
  14. vault — a safe
  15. content — the amount
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — to push
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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