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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · cold · stick · bay · vault · rash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rash — a series
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cold — not warm
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cold — the Cold War

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