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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 120 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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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 · bear · march · foot · chest · vault · stick · wake

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. foot — a measure
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — a trail
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. march — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. foot — the bottom

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