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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rule — government
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. branch — a division
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — a law
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. lie — to recline

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