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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — the season
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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