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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: stick · wind · pitch · plane · spring · fan · vault · shower

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — of water
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. shower — rain

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