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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · sharp · press · mate · bass · track · plane · march

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. press — a publisher
  3. march — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — to keep track
  14. march — the month
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — a path

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