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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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468
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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fall — the season
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — boats
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. vault — a safe
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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