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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — a division
  17. field — a subject
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. field — farmland
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — for sport
  24. hand — help

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