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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — a city
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fall — the season
  13. cue — for pool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. shower — rain
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tube — a container
  23. cue — a signal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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