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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — a company
  6. face — to confront
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. firm — decided
  14. vault — a safe
  15. firm — steady
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fall — the season
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. club — a group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spell — a short 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