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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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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: rush · vault · mate · fan · lash · race · bound · spring

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spring — the season
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — humankind
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — a friend
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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