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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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Word bank
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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — to rip
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a music group
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — of the year
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — completely
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fall — the season
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — from crying

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