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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: snap · fan · pop · content · march · season · rest · vault

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. content — happy
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — the amount
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pop — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. season — in sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pop — to visit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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