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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · chest · cap · leaves · ground · tube · net · suit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. suit — clothes
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. net — after costs
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chest — a box
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chest — of your body
  18. suit — in cards
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ground — a position
  22. net — for catching
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — the earth

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