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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — ground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. land — to come down
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mark — a trace
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — a country
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. dip — to sink

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