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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
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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match

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