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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: vault · pitch · lie · bulb · spring · pit · saw · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — of water
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lie — an untruth

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