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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. season — in sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a line of people
  8. season — of the year
  9. swing — in golf
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fall — the season
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a document
  14. swing — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. file — a tool

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