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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. land — to come down
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — a leader
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. land — ground
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. shower — rain
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. land — a country
  19. bank — of a river
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. sharp — clever
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. shower — to wash

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