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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.

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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 · ruler · lean · bat · perch · vault · mate · net

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — after costs
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bat — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — thin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lean — to bend

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