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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. face — to point toward
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — of the year
  14. swing — in golf
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — the season
  21. kid — child
  22. face — to confront
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. kid — to tease

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