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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 120 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: rush · spell · sharp · cue · field · vault · press · bound

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — clever
  6. field — for sport
  7. press — to push
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. press — newspapers
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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