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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. last — final
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — to drop
  11. last — finally
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — the season
  14. land — a country
  15. cell — a phone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cell — in a prison
  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