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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: fan · present · track · vault · patient · roll · spring · wake

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. present — the time now
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spring — a coil
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. roll — a cake
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. spring — the season
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — of water
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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