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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — to bear

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