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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 124 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: branch · stand · fall · season · vault · wind · mark · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — a division
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — to bear
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — the season
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. season — in sport
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mark — a trace
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wind — moving air
  22. season — of the year
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wind — to turn a key

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