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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. net — after costs
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. file — a document
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. land — to come down
  16. net — in sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — ground
  23. file — a tool
  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