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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. march — music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — a committee
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. race — humankind
  14. ground — a position
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. vault — a safe
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — to get on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — of a tree

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