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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: ground · vault · calf · roll · press · ball · clip · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into 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. rush — hurry
  2. press — newspapers
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. roll — a list
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — to push
  10. clip — to cut
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ground — the earth
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. roll — a cake
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  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