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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bound — tied together
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ball — a dance
  7. band — a ring
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a music group
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. band — a rubber band

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