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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. root — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. root — the cause
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — to go on
  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