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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: leaves · fall · deal · date · bat · stand · kick · vault

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fall — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. vault — a safe
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kick — in football

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