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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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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — to come down
  4. fall — the season
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. land — a country
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — a safe
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — low music
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. land — ground

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