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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: charge · net · spring · stand · vault · rest · bat · fall

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — the season
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rest — a break
  17. charge — a price
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fall — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fall — to drop

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