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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — a safe
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rush — hurry
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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