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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — a price
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — the season
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. charge — in control

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