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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fall — the season
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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