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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 124 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — the month
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pass — a permit
  23. root — the cause
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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