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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — to be able to
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ground — a position
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — humankind
  18. object — an aim
  19. fall — the season
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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