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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: rash · object · fan · vault · spring · chair · deal · chip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — a thing
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. object — an aim
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — to protest
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fan — a supporter

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