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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — to drop
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — a coil
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spring — the season
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — army training
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rest — a break

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