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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a dance
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. last — to go on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — final
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. last — finally
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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