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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cold — not warm
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lean — thin
  15. clip — a video
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. clip — to cut

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