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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — to eat
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — for betting
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. vault — a safe

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