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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 116 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 · vault · drill · net · bay · lean · cell · pound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. drill — army training
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cell — a phone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fall — the season

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