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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: rest · rash · vault · pitch · ruler · fall · present · spell

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — hasty
  6. present — there
  7. vault — a safe
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — a series
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — a break
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — completely
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — magic
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — the season

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