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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 116 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 quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. track — a path
  5. swing — to play on
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — in biology
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. track — to keep track

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