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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. track — a song
  4. stand — to bear
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — soda
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. face — part of the head

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