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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: stand · vault · file · rock · fall · capital · season · arm

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a document
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fall — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. file — a tool
  19. capital — money
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. capital — a city
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. season — of the year

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