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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — letters
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. court — for sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spell — a short time
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. court — of a king
  24. spell — magic

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