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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: vault · press · leaves · shower · face · suit · jam · roll

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. vault — a safe
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — part of the head
  10. press — newspapers
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. press — a publisher
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — rain
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — in cards
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. press — to push
  23. roll — a cake
  24. shower — to wash

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