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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. race — a contest
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. snap — to click
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — a list
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. date — on the calendar

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