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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: ruler · press · bound · season · perch · spring · vault · current

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — happening now
  16. bound — obliged
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — to push
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. season — to add flavour

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