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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — a short time
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — a stone
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — dry grass

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