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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. band — a ring
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. band — a music group
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. court — of law
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — for sport

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