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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cap — a hat
  7. vault — a safe
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — the time now
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. present — there
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wind — to turn a key

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