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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. roll — a list
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — in sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. capital — a city
  22. perch — the fish
  23. net — for catching
  24. snap — to click

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