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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — the underground
  6. present — the time now
  7. vault — a safe
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — a gift
  10. spell — magic
  11. tube — a container
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. can — to be able to
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — a short time
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — there
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tube — in a tire

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