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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — rain
  8. vault — a safe
  9. current — happening now
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — to wash
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — to come from
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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