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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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ball — a dance
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — a contest
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wake — a trail
  22. vault — a safe
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ball — a round shape

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