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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: stick · vault · bound · perch · shower · pound · press · toast

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. bound — certain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pound — a weight
  9. shower — rain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — newspapers
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. perch — the fish
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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