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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 116 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: net · plane · pitcher · mine · press · straw · vault · bear

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. net — in sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. press — to push
  22. vault — a safe
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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