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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fall — the season
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cold — not warm
  10. vault — a safe
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fall — to drop

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