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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 116 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.

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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: bay · lean · wind · saw · band · fan · vault · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — a safe
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wind — moving air
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a rubber band

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