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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: board · vault · bowl · shower · perch · press · bound · calf

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. shower — to wash
  14. board — to get on
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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