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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: stand · vault · pound · land · fan · lash · drill · fork

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fork — in a road
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. drill — army training
  18. land — a country
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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