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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: wound · fall · stand · rash · bulb · sharp · bear · vault

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — clever
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rash — a series
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — the season
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stand — on your feet

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