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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cell — a phone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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