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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · pop · track · fall · cabinet · pound · vault · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — a series
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — of the year
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — a path
  21. pop — soda
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — hasty

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