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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. charge — a price
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — in sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — in control
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — a trail
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. nail — on a finger

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