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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bank — for money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. last — finally
  9. bore — to tire
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. net — in sport
  12. bank — of a river
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — to go on
  24. leaves — lets stay

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