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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: wind · plane · fine · fall · fan · vault · ball · track

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. vault — a safe
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ball — a dance

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