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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. drill — army training
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. staff — a stick
  7. drill — a practice
  8. staff — employees
  9. present — there
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fall — the season
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — child
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  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