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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ground — the earth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. ground — crushed
  23. vault — a safe
  24. foot — the bottom

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