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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — a song
  4. staff — a stick
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — to keep track
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — of the year
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. vault — a safe
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — a path
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. leaves — to go away

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