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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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Word bank
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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: fall · mine · pop · sharp · vault · leaves · drill · present

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — the tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — the season
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. present — a gift
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — clever
  13. present — there
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. present — the time now
  21. vault — a safe
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. leaves — of a tree

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