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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. current — electric
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cell — in biology
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. current — happening now
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitch — completely
  18. vault — a safe
  19. current — of water
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — an illness

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