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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to confront
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a friend
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — the season
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. face — to point toward
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. lean — thin

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