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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. spell — letters
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — in cards
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — shares
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hand — help
  23. stock — goods
  24. spell — magic

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