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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wind — moving air
  5. content — happy
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fall — the season
  13. row — to paddle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — a safe
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fall — to drop
  23. row — a line
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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