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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: jam · perch · cell · rush · lash · vault · press · leaves

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. press — to push
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cell — in biology
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — a phone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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