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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: band · vault · wind · cold · fan · rock · bulb · rush

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a ring
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. band — a music group
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cold — the Cold War

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