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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spring — a coil
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — the season
  6. vault — a safe
  7. firm — steady
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — a weight
  10. firm — decided
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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