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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. content — happy
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — the amount
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fall — the season
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. vault — a safe

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