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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fall — the season
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. scale — size or range
  15. season — in sport
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ground — the earth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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