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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — a container
  17. mark — a grade
  18. row — to paddle
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a line
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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