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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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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: temple · vault · swing · band · cap · pass · fan · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — in golf
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. vault — a safe
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a ring
  24. swing — music

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