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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · snap · lash · fan · vault · coach · land · saw

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — tied together
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — obliged
  12. land — to come down
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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