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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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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: hand · mate · vault · lean · stand · stock · squash · fall

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — help
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — in cards
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fall — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. lean — thin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — to rest against

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