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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — final
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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