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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: vault · rush · saw · perch · lean · press · row · ground

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — a line
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — a safe
  13. row — to paddle
  14. perch — the fish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lean — thin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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