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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: stand · spell · fall · mug · sharp · kid · present · vault

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kid — child
  3. fall — the season
  4. spell — letters
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — magic
  7. present — a gift
  8. kid — to tease
  9. present — there
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — to rob
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a cup
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mug — a face

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