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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 120 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: lie · bark · vault · fall · fan · race · deal · scale

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — the arms race
  8. scale — size or range
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — to shout
  13. race — humankind
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lie — to recline

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