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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: bound · nail · fan · plane · snap · vault · prune · tube

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. tube — the underground
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tube — a container
  6. snap — to click
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — a safe
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — obliged
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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