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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: file · fan · chest · deal · vault · rush · spring · leaves

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — the season
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spring — of water
  19. chest — a box
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — to hurry

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