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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 · clip · press · bore · band · bass · plane · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. band — a ring
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a music group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. clip — a video
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bore — to tire

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