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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.

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: spring · perch · wound · temple · mark · fan · press · vault

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. press — to push
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spring — of water
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spring — a coil
  24. perch — for a bird

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