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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. file — a tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chair — a leader
  21. squash — to crush
  22. file — a document
  23. bore — to drill
  24. squash — the sport

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