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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. shower — to wash
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. present — there
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. shower — rain
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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