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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: fall · vault · spring · rest · bay · drill · band · stand

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — a break
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a ring
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rest — what's left
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — army training
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spring — of water

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