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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 — to go away
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — tied together
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rule — government
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. rule — a law
  22. chest — a box
  23. tube — in a tire
  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