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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — music
  3. fall — the season
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. foot — the bottom

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