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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: stand · tear · pop · vault · pass · squash · fall · key

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — soda
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fall — the season
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pop — music

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