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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · cell · vault · bark · fan · lean · board · bulb

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lean — to bend
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — thin
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bark — of a tree

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