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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.

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: fan · nail · fork · vault · cue · hand · spring · mouse

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. spring — the season
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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