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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chip — for betting
  11. charge — in control
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. charge — a price
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — not warm

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