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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. present — a gift
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — there
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — the time now
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — a trail
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fall — the season
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fall — to drop
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lean — to bend
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. court — for sport

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