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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — to bear
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — a trail
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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