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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. band — a ring
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a music group
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — the amount

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