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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — letters
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — a short time
  6. charge — in control
  7. fall — the season
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — a price
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — of the leg

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