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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
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: fan · nail · pass · file · cabinet · plane · spring · vault

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a document
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. file — a tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — a tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a line of people

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