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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 · chair · march · vault · firm · kick · plane · cue

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — decided
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chair — a leader
  15. march — music
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. kick — in football
  19. firm — steady
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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