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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.

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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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. clip — to cut
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — hurry
  8. land — to come down
  9. bank — of a river
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — a video
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. clip — for paper
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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