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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — for catching
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bark — to shout
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — in sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — after costs
  21. stock — shares
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

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