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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 116 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: kid · vault · face · nail · spring · fall · can · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — to confront
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kid — to tease
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — the season
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — the season

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