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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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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: stick · lean · pop · land · patient · fall · vault · rest

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. land — to come down
  3. lean — to bend
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — a country
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. land — ground
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — the season
  19. pop — soda
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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