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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: rush · vault · chest · calf · press · bark · bass · ground

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — a position
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — the instrument
  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