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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 124 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — magic
  5. board — a committee
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to click
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. spell — a short time

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