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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: mate · file · fan · bank · chair · bulb · vault · rule

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mate — a friend
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bank — for money
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — government
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — a law
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bank — of a river

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