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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · land · vault · bass · rest · staff · stock · stand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — what's left
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. land — to come down
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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