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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: content · fall · pass · face · roll · perch · nail · vault

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to point toward
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. content — the amount
  14. roll — a cake
  15. face — to confront
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. roll — a list
  18. content — happy
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. perch — for a bird

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