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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · hand · roll · scale · pound · wave · press · mug

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pound — a weight
  8. press — to push
  9. mug — a face
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mug — a cup
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. scale — in music

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