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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. vault — a safe
  5. snap — to click
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — a container
  12. season — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — to add flavour

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