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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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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wake — a trail

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