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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · lie · board · can · vault · dip · file · coach

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. can — to be able to
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a document
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — to get on
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lie — an untruth

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