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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: wind · spring · season · stand · cabinet · vault · net · fan

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spring — the season
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spring — of water
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — in sport
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — for catching
  14. season — of the year
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — after costs
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fan — to cool the 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