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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: cabinet · shower · pass · cell · vault · fan · bay · spring

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. spring — a coil
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in biology

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