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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.

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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 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rest — a break
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fall — the season
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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