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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 · snap · charge · pitch · bear · fan · vault · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — completely
  7. charge — a price
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — in control
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — an injury

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