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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bank · rash · fan · vault · hand · bulb · wind · dip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — help
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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