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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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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: stand · fork · vault · bass · clip · spring · leaves · rest

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spring — of water
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — a video
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spring — the season
  16. bass — low music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — a coil
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the fish

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