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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: plane · race · deal · stand · vault · hide · tube · fall

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. tube — a container
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. race — a contest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — to drop
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fall — 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