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

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cell — in biology
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hand — help
  11. cell — a phone
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tear — to rip
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — a match
  19. squash — the sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tear — from crying

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