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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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