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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. plane — a tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. track — a song
  18. field — farmland
  19. track — a path
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. vault — a safe
  24. foot — a measure

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