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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: plane · rest · kick · vault · press · spring · cabinet · track

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — in football
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spring — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. press — to push
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spring — a coil
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rest — a break
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — to keep track

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