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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. scale — in music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fall — the season
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — a division
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rest — a break
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — for weighing

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