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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: pass · fall · mine · spring · fan · vault

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fall — the season
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spring — of water
  12. mine — for digging
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spring — a coil
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — to spend time

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