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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: vault · rush · prune · pass · clip · wave · fine · fan

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. clip — a video
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — all right
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. clip — to cut

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