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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 116 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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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 · wound · vault · cap · fan · fall · bore · pitch

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bore — to tire
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fall — the season
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wound — an injury

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