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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — a safe
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wake — a trail
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cold — not warm
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fall — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. cold — the Cold War

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