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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: fan · nail · vault · roll · firm · lean · squash · last

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — steady
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — final
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. last — to go on
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — a supporter

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