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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.

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: stem · mine · stick · vault · capital · fan · fine · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. capital — a city
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a document
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. capital — money
  24. vault — a safe

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