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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cold — an illness
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fork — in a road
  14. charge — a price
  15. vault — a safe
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. charge — in control
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — there
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cap — a lid
  24. present — the time now

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