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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — the season
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — in cards
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pass — to spend time

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