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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. vault — a safe
  13. track — a path
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. key — in music
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. season — of the year
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — the most important part
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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