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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. firm — steady
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — a safe
  7. roll — a cake
  8. toast — bread
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — the season
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a music group
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. roll — a list
  15. charge — in control
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — electricity
  23. firm — decided
  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