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

Word bank: vault · bear · stick · pop · temple · can · stand · fall

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — soda
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pop — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fall — to drop

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