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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.

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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 · fan · wake · lean · bay · stem · bound · game

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bound — certain
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bound — obliged
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bound — tied together
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — of a plant

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