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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — a tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spring — a coil
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. last — to go on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. last — finally
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. last — final
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — to fit

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