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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
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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 · bear · leaves · key · bound · clip · net · fan

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — in music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — in sport
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — certain
  22. net — for catching
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. leaves — to go away

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