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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spell — letters
  4. track — a path
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. track — to keep track
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — a song
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — to protest
  21. craft — boats
  22. spell — magic
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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