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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lean — thin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — of ice
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. row — to paddle
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. cap — a hat
  22. last — final
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. vault — a safe

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