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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cap — a hat
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a lid
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — of ice
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. march — music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — lets stay

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