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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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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: band · bay · press · plane · rash · vault · chest · arm

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rash — a series
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — to push
  16. band — a music group
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. press — newspapers
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chest — of your body

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