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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rest — a break
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rest — what's left

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