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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lie — to recline
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — the season

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