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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.

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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: fall · wind · straw · vault · fork · pass

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. 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. straw — dry grass
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pass — a permit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. 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