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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 116 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: vault · press · wave · craft · last · swing · fan · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. last — finally
  3. press — to push
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. field — a subject
  13. press — newspapers
  14. field — for sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — with your hand

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