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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — the month
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to bend
  17. march — the month
  18. face — to confront
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. saw — the tool

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