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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: bank · vault · firm · rush · fan · season · wax · track

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. firm — decided
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. wax — to grow
  20. vault — a safe
  21. season — of the year
  22. firm — a company
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bank — for money

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