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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: fall · vault · lean · rest · mate · stand · bay · club

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rest — a break
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stand — to bear

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