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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a document
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a tool
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. degree — an amount
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chair — a leader
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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