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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — the time now
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — to go on
  8. fall — the season
  9. present — there
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pound — a weight
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — in sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — finally
  22. present — a gift
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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