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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fall — the season
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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