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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. band — a music group
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. band — a ring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — a partner

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