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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. band — a ring
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. suit — in cards
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — for sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. court — of law

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