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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 120 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: vault · wound · fan · present · fork · cabinet · pass · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. present — there
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — in a road
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rush — a thrill

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