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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 120 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
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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: fan · field · present · vault · chair · bound · cold · nail

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. field — a subject
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — the time now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cold — an illness
  20. present — there
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — for sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. field — farmland

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