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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cold — not warm
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — after costs
  16. cold — an illness
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — the Cold War

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