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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. toast — bread
  3. vault — a safe
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. charge — a price
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cold — not warm
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. craft — boats
  15. charge — electricity
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. charge — in control
  20. chair — a leader
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — lets stay

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