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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. branch — a division
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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