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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. root — of a word
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — all right
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cold — an illness
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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