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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. last — to go on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. race — a contest
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. race — humankind
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — the season
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — a stone
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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