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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: fall · key · press · vault · stand · rest · lie · content

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. press — newspapers
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — to push
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — in music
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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