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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. shower — to wash
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mate — a partner
  11. row — a line
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mate — a friend
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. snap — to click
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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