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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: fan · vault · bound · pop · object · stand · staff · fall

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — certain
  5. pop — music
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — to drop
  10. object — to protest
  11. fall — the season
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — a safe
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — soda
  24. fall — to drop

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