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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a document
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cell — a phone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. file — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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