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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: spring · bound · fall · cabinet · season · vault · can · fine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — of the year
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — to be able to
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — obliged
  13. season — in sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spring — of water
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — all right
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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