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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. squash — the sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — humankind
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wake — a trail
  21. race — a contest
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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