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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: bulb · rock · pound · face · fan · wound · vault · toast

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — a stone
  19. toast — bread
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — a safe

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