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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — thin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. firm — decided
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — the sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — electricity
  16. present — there
  17. fall — the season
  18. ball — a dance
  19. firm — a company
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. firm — steady
  23. lean — to bend
  24. present — a gift

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