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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 124 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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hand — help
  9. fall — to drop
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. vault — a safe
  19. season — in sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. safe — a strongbox

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