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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — a partner
  5. season — of the year
  6. vault — a safe
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — a short time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. mate — to breed
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. leaves — to go away

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