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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cold — not warm
  9. file — a tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a document
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. file — a line of people
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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