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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 116 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: vault · lean · bass · file · wake · stock · fan · can

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — low music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — to bend
  17. can — a tin
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lean — thin
  23. vault — a safe
  24. can — to be able to

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