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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — to recline
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fall — to drop
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spell — magic
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fall — to drop

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