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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: bulb · ruler · bat · game · fan · wind · vault · nail

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — 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