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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. clip — a video
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — the season
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — to cut
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — part of the head
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. clip — for paper
  24. vault — a safe

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