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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. clip — to cut
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — to recline
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — an aim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fall — the season
  24. lie — an untruth

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