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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. vault — a safe
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. staff — employees
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — a division
  24. wind — moving air

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