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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: season · arm · vault · track · sharp · wave · press · tear

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — a song
  9. tear — to rip
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. track — a path
  15. tear — from crying
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. press — to push
  19. track — to keep track
  20. press — newspapers
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. press — a publisher

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