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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — finally
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. field — farmland
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — a subject
  15. last — final
  16. field — for sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pound — a weight

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