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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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. kid — to tease
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — a series
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spring — of water
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — hasty
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. kid — child

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