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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. present — the time now
  18. rash — a series
  19. present — a gift
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — there
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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