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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: lean · stand · nail · squash · vault · jam · fall · club

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. club — a group
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — to crush
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — for golf
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fall — the season

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