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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. toast — bread
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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