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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. game — a match
  22. snap — to click
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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