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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 116 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: chair · stem · pit · rest · bound · fall · sharp · vault

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bound — certain
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. fall — the season
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — clever
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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