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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rest — a break
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — a stone
  8. file — a tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a document
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — of a tree

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