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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spell — letters
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. field — a subject
  24. plane — an aircraft

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