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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fall — the season
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a hole
  7. last — final
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fall — to drop
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cold — not warm
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bass — low music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — the instrument

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