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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: spring · race · chest · stand · lie · rock · deal · vault

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. race — a contest
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — humankind
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chest — a box
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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