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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 120 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: press · season · land · saw · cue · vault · rock · wound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cue — a hint
  5. press — to push
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. land — ground
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cue — for pool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — to come down
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — of the year
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wound — an injury

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