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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — in sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — of the year
  19. fall — the season
  20. suit — clothes
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — bread
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — the most admired

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