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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fine — all right
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. roll — a list
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a committee
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fall — to drop
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fall — the season

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