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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. tube — the underground
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spell — a short time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. season — in sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — a container
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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