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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fall · mug · vault · wake · fan · saw · key · mark

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mark — a trace
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a face
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — the season
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — a grade
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — a supporter

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