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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: chest · vault · rock · pound · racket · press · fan · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — a box
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. press — newspapers
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rock — to move gently

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