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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: sharp · ground · vault · press · plane · shower · suit · wave

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — a publisher
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — clothes
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — the earth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. shower — rain
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — in cards
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. plane — a tool
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ground — a position

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