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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fall — the season
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — rain
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ball — a great time
  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