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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. charge — electricity
  4. object — a thing
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — an aim
  10. charge — a price
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — the season
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — in control
  15. file — a document
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. file — a tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a line of people
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — to protest

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