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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spring — the season
  10. can — to be able to
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. charge — electricity
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. spring — of water
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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